Xbox One: for every feature in a launch game, we’ve got five in the queue, says Harrison

Xbox One’s launch games have only given a taster of what the console’s output is capable of. Microsoft’s Phil Harrison has teased that for ever features seen in the console’s launch line-up, the company has five more waiting to be revealed.

It follows the announcement of 32 developers signed up to ID@Xbox, Microsoft’s charge into the indie space. As you may know, independent titles often deliver bold new ideas and features. This could go a long way towards what Harrison has said.

Speaking with OXM, Harrison said, “”When you’ve been around for a long time, you know what platforms are like. The games you celebrate and are proud of in the first year, when you look back at them from the perspective of ten years from now; you’d be amazed at the difference. It’s a combination of the tools getting better, developers beginning to understand the unique architecture to work with.”

On where the console’s features set might grow and the malleability afforded by the cloud, Harrison continued, “Crucially this time around, there’s the power of the cloud and what that means for game design. That can grow and scale indefinitely – of course there is a practical limit but in effect you’re uncapped. And I think, from a player’s perspective, that’s the most exciting part; that it’s not just about the chips in the box under the television or wherever you position your console of choice, it’s about what the platform will provide you with over time. We’ve not had that in a console generation before.”

“There are more ideas and vision for what games can be than available time to build them into the launch games,” he added, “So for every feature you’ve seen in the launch titles – SmartGlass, GameDVR, use of voice with Kinect – there are five features in the queue waiting to come out, either in an update or a sequel or in a future version of a game. The kind of creative and technical innovation that we’re seeing in the industry – it’s a really good time.”

It’s no secret that a console’s output becomes more impressive and diverse as its lifespan ticks along, so it stands to reason that bigger and better things will come over time.